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From the first Presidential candidates forum (a DNC meeting I blogged for the Huffington Post on February 2, 2007), Barack Obama’s message has been about bringing change and offering hope. Insisting that the "reality tv show" mentality fed by the 24-hour news cycle is "not why we are here." Obama described America as being in a "sobering place" Obama said this is "not a contest; it is a serious moment for America.

The American people understand that. Every candidate will have something serious and valuable to offer. Campaigns should not be about making each other look bad but about how we can offer something good for this precious country of ours. Our rivals won't be each other or the other party but cynicism."

Obama proposed a discussion of the issues and set forth goals: health care for all Americans by the end of the first term of the next President, energy independence and a national security policy. Touting his early opposition to the Iraq war which he called "a tragic mistake" he said "whether you were for or against the war in the beginning, we each have the obligation to set forth in clear unambiguous terms how we are going to get out of Iraq." Concluding with a call to "turn the page" he noted that "for every attack ad out there, there are real patriots fighting and dying in Iraq, [so] we must free ourselves from the constraints of politics and offer hope. We have offered plans; we need now to offer hope to the American people."

In the ensuing 20 months, Barack Obama has been true to his mission. He has displayed the attributes of effective leadership: a compelling call to service, a progressive vision for our country, bold ideas to lead us in a new direction, and the values to include all of us in that journey with civility and accountability. He laid out his plans to bring positive change to our lives, from economic justice to energy independence to an end to the Iraq war and care for our veterans. He has run an unprecedented continental campaign, inspiring tens of millions of voters and tens of thousands of volunteers to new life into our democracy with an emphasis on building success from the ground up, valuing the strength of our work, not the size of our checkbook. After a contentious primary that made him stronger, he brought the party together and reached out to Independent and Republicans looking to turn the page from the Bush years. And he and Michelle have shown that that to bring change we must reject the politics of personal destruction and embrace a personal responsibility to make the future better for their and all children.

What Barack Obama said 20 months ago remains ever so today: with economic uncertainly at home and two wars abroad, we need steady judgment and inspiring leadership. We need to believe we can repair the breach here at home - exemplified by the Bush administration’s disastrous response to Katrina, to Constitutional law, and to the mortgage meltdown – and to restore our standing in the world. By electing Barack Obama, we will choose to renew the American dream with a President who offers common sense and compassion, a government working for peace, prosperity and the common good, a society where our diversity is our strength, and a future where each can reach our fullest human potential.

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